by Melody Anne
“Please fill out this form and make sure all contact information is correct. If you’ve passed to the second part of our screening process, we’ll call you in three to five days,” Mr. Mario Kinsor had said with the same gentle smile.
He hadn’t asked her whether she had any questions. He hadn’t elaborated on the job. Normally, she would have just filled out the paperwork and kept silent, but her rising curiosity had pushed her with an unknown bravery to ask what the job actually was.
“Mr. Kinsor, the ad in the paper was vague. What exactly does this job entail?”
“If you make it to the next level, you’ll be given more information, Ms. Harlow. I’m sorry, but Mr. Palazzo is a very private man and this position is…confidential,” he’d answered with a slight pause.
“I understand,” Ari had said with a brittle smile, though she hadn’t understood at all.
She’d scanned the solitary paper on the table and her confusion had only worsened.
What are your hobbies?
Are you in a serious relationship? If not, when was the last one you were in?
Are you available to travel?
What kind of questions were these? Was the second one even allowed in a job interview? Still, she’d answered as best she could and finally read a question that made sense:
What are your career goals?
The sentence had elicited a genuine smile. Before her mother’s car accident, before her life had changed so dramatically, she’d been an honors student at Stanford, working toward her bachelor’s degree in history. She’d planned on getting her master’s, then a doctorate so she could be a university professor.
Someday…
In her heart of hearts she still held out hope of resuming her life at some point — accomplishing the goals she’d set for herself. But instant guilt filled her whenever that hope entered conscious thought. Her mother would have liked to have her life back, too, but she never would. It was only fair that Ari make sacrifices. Ari had to atone for her sins.
Her mother had sacrificed for her entire life so that Ari could have what she needed. She’d paid for Ari’s education at a small private school, and then she’d scrimped and saved to send her to the best college. Ari had earned scholarships, but her mother paid for her room and board and even her beloved car.
Ari had never realized how much her mother had given of herself until the day her mom had been checked into the hospital. Circumstances now demanded that Ari grow up quickly, without having her mother to lean on. She was now responsible for her mom’s care — and Ari was failing at her new role in life.
Since the day of her mother’s car accident, their lives had been filled with utter trepidation and uncertainty.
Thankfully, the Palazzo Corporation had called her back. But the second interview had been more odd than the first. She’d been put through a fitness test. They’d had her run on a treadmill for half an hour, timed her as she navigated an obstacle course, and then tested her endurance.
She’d run track all through high school and continued her running at college, so the physical aspect hadn’t been a problem, but with each step she’d taken in the bizarre interview process, she’d felt rising concern about what she was applying for.
All they’d offered in response at the second interview was that it was a private position with the CEO of the corporation. Maybe she was expected to dodge bullets in countries he was invading? She’d heard rumors that his businesses weren’t always welcome overseas — that some of the governments thought he was overstepping his bounds.
From the research Ari had done, the people normally welcomed him, as he paid high wages and offered excellent benefit packages. A lot of the time it seemed it was other businesses that wanted to keep him out because when he came in, he conquered, no matter what industry he was pursuing. So she knew that if she got the job, she’d have security. People rarely quit when they worked for the Palazzo Corporation.
The pay for the position was high enough to give her mother good medical care and still leave enough left over for her to save up — possibly getting her back to school within a couple of years. At this point, she’d do almost anything to be hired.
“Ms. Harlow, if you aren’t going to take this interview seriously, you may exit the way you came in,” Mr. Palazzo said in an irritated tone, snapping her back to the present.
“I’m sorry. I truly am. I do take this interview very seriously,” she quickly answered, hoping she hadn’t missed a question.
“I won’t repeat myself again — do you understand?” Before she could answer, he continued. “I asked if you’re available all hours. I don’t mean Monday through Friday. This job requires your availability to me seven days a week, night and day. There will be times I won’t need you for extended periods, and other times I’ll need you with me for several days straight. There may be travel involved. The bottom line is that you must have zero other commitments. If that doesn’t work for you, this interview is over.”
Ari felt a lump in the back of her throat as she struggled to hold in the tears threatening to spring to her eyes. She finally gazed into his unusually colored eyes, getting her first solid look at them.
She’d heard about his type of eyes before, with something called heterochromia iridis, where two colors were present. His had a deep purple center around the pupil, fading into a gorgeous midnight blue. They were mesmerizing — intriguing — capturing her gaze, even though they were narrowing intensely right then.
“I have no other commitments. I’m available,” she told him, inwardly crossing her fingers. She was committed to her mother, but with this money she wouldn’t have to worry about her mom’s care. She’d go see her when she had those downtimes he was speaking of. If she didn’t get in to see her mom for a month, she’d be devastated, but her mom would be in good hands, and, most importantly, she wouldn’t notice since she was in a coma.
“What about your mother?” he asked, as if reading her mind, his gaze boring into hers. She was stunned by the question, leaving her silent for a couple of seconds too long.
“How do you know about my mom?”
“I know everything I need to know about you, Arianna,” he replied with a slight lifting of the corner of his mouth.
His expression was far too knowing and she immediately felt the urge to flee. Something wasn’t right; something was telling her to get out while she still could. She was in over her head — she could feel it. All signs pointed to jumping from the chair and rushing out his door. But no. Loyalty to her mother kept her seated where she was.
“Yes. Of course,” she responded. “My mother is being well taken care of. She’s not even aware of who I am at this point. It won’t hurt her in the least if she doesn’t see me for long stretches of time.”
He circled her again, causing her foot to twitch. When she was nervous, she did one of two things — tapped her foot, much to the annoyance of everyone around her, or bit on her thumbnail. She felt the urge to raise her hand, to make contact between thumbnail and teeth, but with great mental effort she kept her hands folded in her lap.
“I can see that as a hindrance, but as she’s the only family member you have, I’ll let it slide for now.”
Was this guy for real? He’d let it slide? Ari was taking in air through her nose in long, deep pulls to keep her temper at bay. She needed the job, she kept reminding herself as she clenched her fingers tightly and locked her jaw to keep the words she wanted to throw at him from rushing out.
“Is something upsetting you, Ms. Harlow?” he asked, his voice smooth as molasses as he came back around and looked into her eyes again. She felt as if he were analyzing her, breaking her down into parts, trying to decide whether she was a waste of his time or not. She was sure that was how he conducted all his business. It was most likely why he was where he was in life, at the top of the ladder, and why she was at the bottom.
Some people oozed pure confidence, the ability to command and conquer the universe, and Mr.
Palazzo had that in spades. She’d have given her soul for just a piece of his winning attitude and unyielding faith in himself.
“Everything’s fine, Mr. Palazzo,” she replied, proud of how calm and level her voice sounded, especially since her nerves were fried.
“You intrigue me, Ms. Harlow. I see you try and hide beneath your ridiculously baggy clothes, and large glasses, but there’s something about you that makes me want to find out what it is you don’t want the world to see.” He paused, making her tug on her blouse again. “I don’t hesitate once I make a decision, and I’ve decided to hire you…temporarily. I can see that your temper might cause a problem, but then again, meek has never been my style. Obedient…yes, but not meek.”
Ari gaped at him as she tried to decipher his words. What was he talking about? What did meek and obedient have to do with anything?
“You’re aware you signed a nondisclosure agreement before ever setting foot into my office, correct? Whatever is said by me is strictly confidential…and that legal agreement highly enforced. A former employee tried to go to the media — once. Let’s just say, she’s now lost everything…and the rumors were quickly squashed. I very much play hardball, Ms. Harlow, and it would behoove you to not become my enemy,” he said in a conversational voice.
Ari swallowed hard as her eyes continued to follow him intently. He spoke of a woman’s ruin as if he were absently mentioning what he had eaten for lunch the previous day. Did she really want to work for this man?
But honestly, what choice did she have?
“I’m aware of what I signed, Mr. Palazzo.” Ari sat up straighter in her chair, the reality of obtaining the job starting to set in. She wasn’t afraid of losing everything because she had nothing to lose. Besides that, she knew how to keep things private. It wasn’t as though she had any girlfriends to gossip with, anyway. She’d always been too focused on school to keep friends. A few had come and gone in her life, but none had lasted the test of time, thinking she was far too boring for their liking.
Her one attempt at acting like a normal college student…the thought made her shudder. It was the reason she was stuck in an interview for a job she was afraid to know the title of, instead of sitting in class listening to her professor.
Rafe Palazzo’s searing gaze fixed her to the spot. He’d said that he didn’t go back once he made a decision, but the assessing look in his eyes belied his words. She could see that he was undecided whether he wanted actually to hire her.
She said a quick prayer that she hadn’t blown this opportunity. Of course, her mother’s words of advice as she’d dropped Ari off at the Stanford dorms for the first time flashed through her mind. Her mom had told her that, if the situation looks too good to be true, then it probably is, and you should run like hell in the other direction. Maybe she should start running, Ari thought.
“Very well, then, Ms. Harlow. The job position is for a mistress…my mistress, to be exact.”
Chapter Two
Rafe watched as Arianna’s eyes widened at his words. He knew he should send her on her way, but from the first moment she’d stepped inside his building there was something so mystifying about her that his interest had been instantly piqued.
She possessed an almost haunting quality in her eyes, but he pushed that thought aside. He couldn’t afford to feel anything more than lust for the women in his life. He respected some of his lovers, but it was only minimal. He didn’t mistrust them — he just wouldn’t let them in.
All his previous mistresses, he had to say, hadn’t been the brightest bulbs in the tanning bed. They obeyed him, was there when he wanted, and stepped aside. The moment any of them showed the slightest amount of jealousy, he’d ended their arrangement. It was best that way. No other woman would get her hooks into him and his wallet.
It was obvious that Ari wasn’t one of his typical choices. The first time he’d seen her picture, he’d passed it by, but somehow it was still on his desk after that quick perusal, and something in her pair of fine green eyes called to him, even though she tried to hide them behind thick glasses.
He needed the women for a specific purpose — that was all. They satisfied his needs, and that was a must, since he was a highly sexual man. They also accompanied him to events where he was expected to have a woman on his arm. He normally couldn’t care less what the world thought about him, but he enjoyed feeling a woman’s soft curves pressing up against his body while lackluster business colleagues hemmed him in.
The fullness of a woman’s pale breasts peeking out of a dark satin gown, the way her thighs would flash at him with each step she took into a room — the sight of a few strands of her hair as they tumbled down around her shoulders, begging for him to release the knot at the back of her head from its tight confines to allow her thick mane to flow forth. The extreme femininity of a woman held his attention during such tedious gatherings. All those things and more were what kept him interested in having a mistress.
He liked women to be near him; he liked them to do his bidding. He really liked them to satisfy his needs.
Since his divorce he’d discovered he had far more needs than he ever realized. He hadn’t found a woman who could keep his interest longer than three months ever since the day Sharron had left. He was fine with that.
When he got bored, he found another willing applicant. The line of women willing to serve him was a mile long — after all, he was Rafe Palazzo, and the world was his oyster, his playground. Both the women he deigned to choose and those he didn’t were hoping — all of them — to have an affair with him turn into something a lot more permanent. Too bad for them it would never happen.
His mistresses were nothing more than employees and that’s precisely how he treated them. They got paid very well, were offered a severance package, and in turn, he was kept satisfied. It was win-win for both parties involved. Why not cut to the chase and offer the money to them up front? That was what they were in it for anyway.
Arianna Harlow’s frozen expression made him think she wasn’t going to work out as his next employee, and he was taken aback by the slight stab of disappointment he felt. Though no one he’d offered a job to had turned him down yet, he expected it to happen eventually. Surprisingly, there were women in the world who felt…uneasy about this kind of arrangement.
He honestly couldn’t comprehend why. After all, he was doing nothing but ditching the obnoxious dating part of sex. Why not cut to the chase and tell a woman exactly what he wanted for himself and expected from her? It made everything so much simpler.
Arianna held an almost broken, yet still spirited look in her eyes, as though he’d just shot her beloved puppy and she were thinking of ways of seeking revenge. Annoyance began building inside Rafe as her gaze darted in any direction but at his face. He didn’t like feeling that weak emotion coursing through him. This was business — nothing more. There wasn’t room for anger, annoyance, feelings of any kind, really. Emotions like that were for lesser human beings than him.
“Take this material home and read through it. I’ll let you consider your options. However, I expect an answer by five tomorrow evening.”
He had a lot more work to accomplish that day and needed to get on with it. He handed her a stack of papers, then held his arm out to assist her from her seat. She glanced warily at his hand as if worried he were going to strike her. His irritation spiked.
“I may be making a mistake by offering you the job. I should simply withdraw the offer, but luckily for you, I’ve decided not to. I hope you appreciate how fortunate you are that I’m giving you time to think about it. There’s a line of women who would literally kill to be in the position you’re in.”
Though he could see the words registering in her brain, she was clearly trying to conceal what she was thinking. So the sooner she was out of his office, the better for him. He needed to take a few moments to decide whether she really was the right candidate.
*****
Ari felt frozen to her seat. She shou
ld tell the guy to go ahead and give the position to one of the many women in that disgusting line of his, and then take herself from the room. She couldn’t do this — no matter how much the job was paying.
Guilt consumed her, though — guilt over her mother, who was lying helpless in a small bed, missing her life — a life she’d always lived to the utmost until a phone call woke her up in the middle of the night.
“Thank you,” Ari replied as she finally accepted the hand Rafe was offering. As their skin touched, a small current of electricity passed through their fingers, sizzling her skin and making her insides burn in a strangely pleasurable way.
She quickly pulled back from him, rattled, unhappy with the unwelcome and foreign sensation. Without anything more being said, she walked stiltedly toward the door and then made her way to the elevator.
Ari could feel him beside her, no longer touching, but keeping pace with her as she tried to make a dignified exit. Why couldn’t he have just stayed in his office instead of insisting on walking her out? She felt the air weighing down on her lungs and began fighting the desire to gasp as she tried to suck in more oxygen. She knew the danger was all in her head — there was zero chance of her suffocating. Ridiculous as it was, she had to keep reassuring herself of just that.
Mr. Palazzo reached out and pressed the down button and then stood with her; her eyes focused on the steel doors before her and she counted the seconds in her head. She’d heard the expression about tension being so thick you could slice it with a knife, but until this very moment, she’d never experienced the phenomenon. There was a first time for everything, and she seemed to be hitting several firsts in Rafe Palazzo’s presence.
Open, open, open, she chanted inwardly. The elevator’s arrival was made known by the chiming of the bell, which seemed much louder than usual, and she fought the impulse to jump in alarm. She entered the car before the doors were fully open, then immediately stepped to the lit panel inside and pressed the lobby button, followed by the button to close the door.